Is there a century old shipping history hidden in the newly built Hanging Garden? Take a look at the only pedestrian overpass in Shanghai that connects the banks of the Huangpu River, Putan | One | Huangpu
On June 28th, the only pedestrian overpass along the Huangpu River that connects the riverside walkway, "Huaqiao · Hanging Garden," was officially unveiled.
It is connected to the newly emerging South Bund Financial Cluster on one end and the waterfront on the other, making it a rare Pujiang landscape balcony. Little did they know that besides the excellent river scenery, there is also a century old shipping history hidden here.
The layout of "Huaqiao · Hanging Garden" is trumpet shaped, extending towards the river. The curved garden road is not only lined with layers of trees, flowers, and plants, but also equipped with seven unique cultural signs.
The reporter scanned the QR code on the signboard with his phone, and in the Shanghai dialect read aloud by linguistic experts at East China Normal University, a section of historical memories of the Dongjiadu area unfolded.
The "Dongjia Road Ferry" sign tells the story of the transformation of the old site of the pier under the journalist's feet. In history, Dongjiadu was the main channel connecting Nanshi and the entire Shanghai with other regions for freight transportation, and it was a window to showcase the historical evolution of the Pujiang River. As early as the Song Dynasty, Dongjiadu had developed into a riverside market. By the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, with the prosperity of the sand boat industry, Dongjiadu Wharf had become the most important wooden wharf in Shanghai at that time. After 1990, with the development of Pudong New Area and the construction of the cross river bridge, the passenger volume of river ferry services significantly decreased. Currently, Dongjiadu Ferry Station at 737 Waima Road, Huangpu District is still in operation.
The "Outer Road" sign tells the history of one of the two municipal roads crossed by "Huaqiao · Hanging Garden" - Outer Road. This was originally a shallow beach. The boatman spent years pulling fibers by the beach, leaving behind a narrow mud road that people called the "fiber path". In 1896, the Shanghai Nanshi Road Engineering Bureau was established, and a road was built along the Huangpu River beach from the Sixteen Pavements to the South Wharf, which was then called "Putan Road". It is the first modern road built by Chinese people in Shanghai, with a stone and sand road surface and a tile tube underneath for easy drainage.
After the road was repaired, it not only facilitated transportation but also prospered the economy, and the road surface plots also extended and expanded towards the riverbank. In 1906, the Shanghai Chengxiang Internal and External Engineering Bureau built a new "Putan Road" by the river, which is called the "Outer Road" because it is closest to the river. The original "Putan Road" was renamed "Lima Road" and later renamed "Zhongshan South Road". The Outer Road connects numerous docks along the river and has made significant contributions to Shanghai's economy. It is now a destination for citizens to relax and enjoy the scenery.
The "Dock" sign refers to the history of Shanghai docks. In the late Southern Song Dynasty, the Huangpu River docks were concentrated along the river outside the East and South Gates. Before 1841, there were already Wangjia Wharf and Dongjiadu Wharf built. In 1915, the docks in the southern urban area began to be renovated, and the layout of each dock was basically finalized. From the 16 Pu to South Wharf, there are 28 wharfs. The commercial and economic model of "prospering the city due to the port" has led to the gathering of thousands of merchants in the area from Xiaodongmen to Dongjiadu, forming a bustling world with docks, warehouses, streets, shops, and foot traffic.
Shanghai used to have many local guilds and guilds, and this period of history was recorded by the "Guilds and Offices" sign. Traditionally, people refer to local organizations as "guilds" and peer groups as "public offices". From the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period, there were several guilds in the Dongjiadu area, including the Merchant Boat Guild Hall and Huzhou Guild Hall on Huiguan Street, Quanzhang Guild Hall on Xiangua Street, Chaohui Guild Hall and Anhui Commerce Guild Hall on Outer Road, Mu Commerce Guild Hall on Shengyi Wharf Street, and Zhening Guild Hall on Miezhu Road and Lotus Pond Lane. There are many public offices in the Dongjiadu area, such as the Fruit Industry Office, Fisheries Office, Cotton Industry Office, Yarn and Cloth Industry Office, Liang Shao Industry Office, Rice Industry Office, Pigment and Grocery Industry Office, Fish Skin Fry Goods Office, and so on.
With shipping, markets, and docks, the service industry naturally emerged. The "Qianzhuang" sign refers to the flourishing financial industry of Dongjiadu. If merchants gather, the business market will prosper, and if wealth is gathered, the finance will be abundant. A money shop was a financial industry store operated by private individuals in the past, mainly engaged in deposits, loans, and remittances. During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the money market industry in Shanghai began to rise. Shanghai's banking industry was closely related to the sand boat industry and the bean and rice industry. By the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the banking industry had entered its heyday, with over 100 banks established in Nanshi. For example, Luhe Bank, Liyu Bank, Fengxiang Silver Tower, and so on. In modern Shanghai's domestic and foreign trade and other economic activities, Shanghai banks played a very important role. Nowadays, the South Bund Financial Agglomeration Zone, which has emerged here, is attracting more and more modern financial industry chain enterprises, including insurance, securities, and banks.
The "Bank" signboard displays the financial history of the Dongjiadu area. The first commercial savings bank in China, namely Huashang Shanghai Xincheng Bank, was established at Wanju Wharf in Dadongmen, Nanshi. Since then, more than 30 banks have been established in Nanshi, making it the financial center at that time.
"Baiye" is also a major feature of Dongjiadu area. By scanning the QR code sign, people can hear about the history of Dongjiadu's various industries. During the reign of Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty, the areas of Sixteen Pavilions and Dongjiadu were bustling with sails and boats, making them important centers for distributing goods. Due to the relatively concentrated marketing of cotton, cloth, silk, tea, ceramics, beans, oilseeds, meat, wheat, medicinal herbs, wood, fruits, sugar, pepper, sea cucumber, bird's nest, tobacco, salted fish, glass, soap and other goods in fixed streets and alleys, gradually formed markets named according to industries, such as Miaozhu Street, Huayi Street, Lixianggua Street, Waixianggua Street, Luxi Lane, Chopsticks and Bamboo Lane, Gluten Lane, Ham Lane, Nipi Lane, Broom Lane, Pig Lane, and so on.
Among various industries, the bean and rice shops on Doushi Street have the greatest impact. At that time, Doushi Street was the largest trading market for beans, rice, wheat, and miscellaneous grains in Shanghai and even across the country. In addition, Muhang is also concentrated in Dongjiadu. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 33 wooden shops on the outer road from Dongjiadu to Nanmatou along the river, about three miles away.
Chen Hongliang, Design Director of Greenland Group's Shanghai Business Unit, introduced that the historical information on these signs was obtained through research and in-depth exploration by third-party experts. By using QR codes, connect the Bund and Huaqiao with history, and trace the cultural and commercial context of Dongjiadu area.
With the changing times, the Dongjiadu area has undergone rapid changes, and many old streets and shops have entered history. However, these urban imprints are still preserved in Huaqiao and the surrounding pocket parks.
Photo by Qi Yingpu
In the newly built Green Bund Center Pocket Park, people can not only rest and enjoy the scenery, but also feel the rich cultural atmosphere of Dongjiadu at any time. Special floor tiles such as the words "Lichuan Wharf Street" remind tourists that this used to be a bustling street. The old-fashioned signs erected inside indicate the location of the old stores of "Yifeng Trading Company" and "Zhongxi Suguang Garment". The geographical location of these old shops has been restored one by one through historical research by the repair team. Among them, the Dongjiadu Catholic Church and the Merchant Shipping Hall have been preserved to this day. The Merchant Shipping Hall, which has been renovated for over 300 years, has been completed and opened to the public. The Catholic Church is accelerating its renovation efforts.
Photo by Qi Yingpu
Chen Hongliang stated that the Huaqiao Bridge adopts a steel structure as a whole, with a total weight of about 1500 tons. Due to the connecting passage of Zhongshan South Road and Dongjiadu below, traditional lifting methods cannot be applied during construction, and the construction difficulty is greatly increased. The team used hydraulic pushing method for scientific construction, and after 45 days of coordination and effort day and night, the installation was successfully completed.
After completion, the Huaqiao Bridge will connect the entire Bund landscape with the 24-hour city, attracting more people and passengers, creating a more international financial, commercial, and living space, and fully activating the Huangpu Financial Gathering Belt.
